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Wednesday, 27 May 2015

Six years ago, we decided we would not send our eldest child to school. At the time, it seemed like a radical and risky idea, but keeping our children with us and shaping life as a family around their education now seems natural, and even ordinary.

Once we had chosen home education, I had lots of other decisions to make about how we would actually go about teaching our children; not just which resources to use (there are MANY!), but what philosophy would drive these day to day choices. Classical or Charlotte Mason? Child-led or more structured? Home-grown curriculum or ready made?

In the midst of this, I heard Psalm 1 read out at a service. I decided that, whatever else we did, I wanted these words of scripture to drive and shape how we brought up and taught our children:

Blessed is the manwho does not walk in the counsel of the wickedor stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.But his delight is in the law of the Lord,and on his law he meditates day and night.He is like a tree planted by streams of water,which yields its fruit in seasonand whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Not so the wicked!They are like chaffthat the wind blows away.Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,but the way of the wicked will perish.